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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25424776">Know Me Crazy, Soothe Me Daily</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisplacedKey/pseuds/DisplacedKey'>DisplacedKey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Diarmute AU Week 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pilgrimage (2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Diarmute AU Week, M/M, Minor Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:35:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25424776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisplacedKey/pseuds/DisplacedKey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Diarmuid gets the chance to meet the aquarium's new shark mer, though in a different way than he expected.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brother Diarmuid/The Mute</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Diarmute AU Week 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838056</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Know Me Crazy, Soothe Me Daily</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Title taken from Hozier's "Jackie and Wilson".</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Diarmuid had a checkup today, which was both good and bad. He didn’t like checkups too much, though Dad was always gentle, but he did get grapes afterward, and he loved grapes. So, good and bad. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diarmuid poked his head out of the top of his anemone, feeling the tentacles brush over his skin. Through the glass of his tank he could see Dad getting his traveling bowl ready. Diarmuid swam fully out of his anemone and up to the top of the tank so that he was there when Dad slid the lid back. Dad smiled and scooped him up. “Someone’s eager to get going,” he said, rubbing Diarmuid’s belly with one finger. Diarmuid chirped and wriggled happily, then grabbed Dad’s thumb in a hug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ciaran, you spoil him rotten,” said Rua, who was typing something into the computer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s a good boy,” Dad said. “And you’re one to talk. Cathal told me you were giving him bellyrubs yesterday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was not,” Rua said, scowling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right,” Dad said, grinning. “I’m sure the security footage was lying, then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen, you reach into the tank to get the filter and he swims right up and snuggles into your hand, what was I supposed to do? And he only does that because you </span>
  <em>
    <span>spoil him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Rua glared at Dad and Diarmuid in turn, but Diarmuid knew he wasn’t really mad. He squeezed Dad’s thumb once more before Dad deposited him in the traveling bowl. There were no plants or caves in the traveling bowl, but that was fine because he wasn’t going to be in there for very long. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dad carried him out of the office and into the hall. Along the walls, Diarmuid could see the bigger tanks where they kept other mers, most of them in groups or mixed together. Diarmuid liked being in his own tank—the other mers bullied him a lot because he was so small, and because he couldn’t swim as fast as them without getting out of breath. The few times he’d been put into tanks with other mers hadn’t ended well. But they didn’t do that anymore, and the humans were nice to him. That was all Diarmuid needed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the checkup room, Cathal already had the equipment laid out and ready to go. Diarmuid poked his head up out of the bowl and chirred in greeting. Cathal smiled. “Hey there, little guy,” he said, reaching out to rub the top of his head with one finger. It made Diarmuid’s hair stick up all funny, so he ducked under the water to smooth it back to normal. When he came back up, Dad and Cathal were talking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’s our new shark friend?” Dad said. “I haven’t gotten to check up on him again yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cathal grimaced. “Not great,” he said. “He spent hours last night ramming the glass, trying to break it. Now he’s bruised on top of everything else.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, dear,” Dad said. “We’re going to have to keep an eye on him. Tell the others to be very cautious, especially when they’re feeding him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will do, but I’m not sure they needed the extra warning,” Cathal replied. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what is he doing now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sulking behind a rock.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm,” Dad said. “I see. Alright, Diarmuid, let’s get you on the scale.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The checkup went normally, and afterward, Dad handed Diarmuid a big green grape. He sat on the bottom of the traveling bowl and munched on it, pondering Dad and Cathal’s conversation. The aquarium had a new mer, which wasn’t too surprising, but ramming the glass? Why on earth would a mer try to break his tank? That was his home, even if it was a new one. And that phrase, “on top of everything else”. Cathal must have meant that the new mer was hurt. That wasn’t all that surprising, either; mers from the ocean were brought in for treatment and then released every so often. The ocean must’ve been a dangerous place. Diarmuid wouldn’t know—Dad raised him here, in the aquarium—but if mers got hurt so often, it had to be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diarmuid was sad for the new mer, but he knew that Dad and the other humans would get him all fixed up soon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door slammed open and Diarmuid jumped, almost dropping his grape. It was—oh. It was Raymond. He was being very loud. Diarmuid, curious, stuck his head above the water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you know?” Raymond said, his fists clenched. “Oh, who am I kidding, of course you knew. You probably wanted this, you probably told them—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning, Raymond,” Dad said, faux-polite. “Know what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been </span>
  <em>
    <span>fired</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Raymond spat. “Because </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> told the board my proposal was unethical.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was,” Dad said. “Though I didn’t point that out so that you would be dismissed, if that’s what you think.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘Unethical,’” Raymond said, his voice rising. “For what, wanting to test—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Dad said, anger seeping into his words. “If you think I’m going to let you take Diarmuid and pump him full of untested chemicals, you’re a fool, Raymond.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Animal testing is completely standard practice, it’s not like—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diarmuid is not an animal,” Dad snapped. He picked up the traveling bowl and skirted around Raymond and out of the room. Raymond followed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just because you’ve gone soft doesn’t change the facts,” Raymond argued. “You may have given it a name, but it’s still an animal, a fish, whatever—it’s not a human. It’s not a person.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe being dismissed is a good thing for you, Raymond,” Dad said, his voice biting. “You clearly don’t have the appropriate mindset for working at a mer aquarium.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve had it out for me ever since I started here,” Raymond said bitterly. “And now you’ve gone out of your way to get me fired. I see how it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have not had it out for you,” Dad said, walking a bit faster. “If you got fired, it’s your own fault. Maybe you should reconsider the way you view the creatures you’re supposed to be caring for, hmm?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> need to learn to stop treating a bunch of animals like your children,” Raymond snapped. “You know what—?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diarmuid trilled in alarm as a hand closed around him and yanked him out of the traveling bowl. The world passed in a blur as Raymond turned and ran away. Dad shouted Diarmuid’s name, and there was a sound of shattering glass as he dropped the traveling bowl. “Raymond!” Dad shouted, huffing as he chased after them. “Stop!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stupid old man,” Raymond muttered. They went through a door, up a short set of stairs. The area was vaguely familiar but Diarmuid was so upset he couldn’t focus. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew it was bad, it wasn’t supposed to be happening, and Dad was upset. He tried to squirm in Raymond’s grip but his arms were pinned to his sides, and all his tail could do was flop around uselessly. He trilled again, a high-pitched distress call. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Raymond stepped out onto something metal. Diarmuid saw water, lots of water—they were at one of the big tanks, in the area usually used for giving out food. “They’re just animals, Ciaran,” Raymond shouted. “They think like animals and act like animals. Just watch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wound his arm back, and then Diarmuid was flying. He trilled again, fear ripping through him as he flipped through the air, and then he hit the water. He was dazed for a moment, unable to think straight after such a disorienting experience. Once he got his bearings he swam down, away from the surface, afraid that Raymond would try to grab him again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Where am I?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A really big tank, that was clear. So big it was almost scary. But there were plants and rocks, so there were places to hide, at least. That was good because Diarmuid definitely wanted to hide, but he also wanted Dad, so he pushed those urges down to swim toward the side of the tank. The hall was empty, but—no, there was Rua! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diarmuid chirped even though Rua wouldn’t be able to hear him, not through glass this thick. Rua noticed him anyway. Relief and fear wrestled for dominance on his face. He called out something and Diarmuid could hear shouting from above him. Diarmuid pressed his hand against the glass. Rua’s eyes strayed past him, and then he paled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diarmuid turned to see a big, wounded shark mer swimming up to him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>David loathed humans. Cruel, jeering little beasts without hearts. David knew what it was to hunt to survive, but humans didn’t do that. They spilled blood for fun, their laughter mocking and reeking with the sharp smells of glass bottles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David had been on his way back to his den when the net overtook his vision. He’d dropped his spear as it hauled him up, and he couldn’t claw through the strands fast enough. The night air was cold and the deck of the ship was hard and slick. And then they’d started trying to kill him. Blades had cut into his skin, glass had shattered against his tail. Two barbed prongs had embedded into his arm and David had choked on metal as a sharp pain coursed through his body. He’d thrashed, fought, and screamed. The net finally, finally tore under his claws and he’d thrown himself over the side, half out of his mind with pain and fear. Once he was deep in the water and far from humans, the fear had morphed into humiliated anger. How dare they snatch him up and torment him and </span>
  <em>
    <span>laugh</span>
  </em>
  <span>? How dare they hunt him like prey? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Humans, he’d seethed, were arrogant, entitled scum. They thought they owned the planet and every living being on it. There were stories of other mers dying at human hands, accidentally or otherwise. Or getting dragged away and stuck in some human-made prison, only to be released after a seemingly arbitrary amount of time. And that was if you were released at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David’s anger had given him the momentum to swim miles and miles away from his attackers, but his wounds caught up with him eventually. They stung and bled into the water, leaving a trail that told every nearby predator that David was easy pickings. David swam until he found a rock that jutted out of the water and hauled himself onto it. He would sleep there, above the water and out of range, until he’d recovered some of his strength. It was far from any shore, far enough that no human should see him and, like any other predator, take advantage of his weakness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. David woke to darts piercing his skin, darts that very quickly made him too woozy and tired to flee. He doubted that he made it a hundred feet before they caught up with him, hauling him up with a net and dumping him into a big orange box filled with water. His body felt too heavy to even fight them off. When he woke up, he was in a different box. A human prison, decorated with plants and rocks like it was any kind of substitute for the sea, with one see-through side so that the humans could watch him like he was their fucking entertainment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David had slammed himself against that wall until his arms and tail were bruised, but he couldn’t break it. He was trapped here until the humans chose to free him—if they ever did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David was curled up behind one of the rocks, plotting gory revenge, when he heard muffled shouting from above. Peering around the rock, he saw a little flickering spot of color. Another mer, this one tiny, genuinely tiny, at least compared to David. A bright orange tail with bands of white bordered by black, and pale skin, and curly brown hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little mer was up against the glass, chirping at a human. There was a splash, and when David looked up, he saw a small net on a pole enter the water and go down, heading toward the little mer. Rage filled his chest and he darted forward. The little mer turned to look at him just as he grabbed the net and yanked it as hard as he could, jerking it right out of the human’s hand and into the water. He threw it to the side in disgust and let it sink to the bottom of the tank. He was sick and tired of nets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh!” the little mer said. “What did you do that for?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David stared at him. Up close, his tiny size was distracting. He could fit comfortably in the palm of David’s hand. But his words bothered David too much to ignore. “What do you mean?” he said. “They were trying to grab you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” the little mer said, like that was obvious. “I’m, um, not supposed to be in here. They were just gonna scoop me up—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’re okay with that?” David interrupted. The little mer cocked his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David scowled. “It’s humiliating!” he snapped. “It’s demeaning, it’s like we’re—</span>
  <em>
    <span>things</span>
  </em>
  <span>, to them. Just things that they can do whatever they want with.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little mer shook his head. “Maybe the mean ones, but the nice ones aren’t like that! And it’s mostly nice ones here.” His eyes trailed over David’s body and the cuts and bruises that marked his skin. “You’re the new mer, aren’t you? I heard them talking about you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was another splash. David whirled around to see another net coming from behind them. He grabbed it and yanked it down just like the first, but heard a second splash a moment later. He turned again to see yet another net scooping up the little mer. They thought they could distract him. They thought they could distract him and grab the other mer with another fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>net</span>
  </em>
  <span>—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David yanked this net so harshly he was surprised the human didn’t come toppling in after it. Oh, he wished they would. He would show them exactly what he thought of their kind. For now, he settled for gently scooping the little mer out of the netting and quickly swimming deeper into the tank, behind one of the rocks. They clearly couldn’t have an undisturbed conversation close to the surface.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little mer stared up at him, brow furrowed. “Why are you doing this?” he asked. “Dad is probably worried sick about me now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David’s stomach twisted. “They took your whole family?” he said. “And they’re putting you in separate cages? Those—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no!” the little mer said. “I’m out of my tank to get a checkup. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I…” He broke off, his eyes once more tracing David’s wounds. “What happened?” he asked, clearly distressed. “These look </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful</span>
  </em>
  <span>. What did the ocean do to you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The ocean?” David said. “The ocean didn’t do this, humans did. That’s what humans do. They hurt, and kill, and kidnap. Why do you think I saved you from the net?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little mer’s eyes were wide. “Humans did this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Memories swam behind David’s eyes. He shoved them away, setting his jaw. “Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” the little mer said. “I...that’s awful. But these humans would never do that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really! Dad and the others are so nice, they just want to help,” the little mer said eagerly, and David reared back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean, ‘Dad’?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little mer blinked. “His name’s Ciaran. He has a black and white beard and dark brown eyes. You’ve probably seen him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David had vague memories of an older, bearded human looking down at him. Revulsion wormed into his heart. “Why are you calling a human your father?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because he is!” the little mer said. “He raised me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Raised you?” David said, growing sicker with every word. “How young were you when they took you from the ocean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I hadn’t even hatched yet,” the little mer said. David closed his eyes. “Dad said most of my nest got eaten by predators, including my actual mer parents, so he took me in and raised me. So, yeah, he’s my dad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Horrors upon horrors. Baby mers stolen from their nests and raised in captivity like pets. Adult mers who’d never seen the ocean. It was nightmarish, sickening. “Don’t you want to be free?” David asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little mer frowned. “What, in the ocean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” The little mer’s frown deepened. “No. I...I don’t think I’d do well in the ocean. I can’t...I mean, when I swim too much or too fast, my chest starts to hurt and I can’t breathe right. I don’t think…” He shook his head. “Besides, why would I want to leave Dad?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, that was...fair. The first part was, anyway. A mer who couldn’t properly flee from predators would be at much, much higher risk of being killed. David hummed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s your name?” the little mer asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s David,” he said. “You?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Diarmuid,” the little mer said. “It’s nice to meet you, David. For what it’s worth, I know Dad and the others are only trying to help. I should know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you know better?” David said. Diarmuid frowned. “Really. This is all you know. Do you know the difference between helping and hurting?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diarmuid’s brow furrowed. To his credit, he seemed to be giving it serious thought. David peeked around the rock to see humans peering through the glass, the blurry shape of them scurrying around on the metal platform. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dad gives me bellyrubs,” Diarmuid said. “And grapes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell are bellyrubs?” David said, and Diarmuid’s eyes widened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one’s ever given you bellyrubs? They’re the best! They’re exactly what they sound like, they just rub your belly and it’s super nice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David scrubbed a hand over his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My humans are nice,” Diarmuid said. “I can prove it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>David gave him an extremely skeptical look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can,” Diarmuid insisted. “And I’ll stay here with you until I do.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ciaran was losing his mind. It had been a month since Raymond had thrown Diarmuid into the shark mer’s tank, and he was still in there. They’d tried everything they could think of to get him out, but the shark mer was vigilant and Diarmuid himself didn’t seem eager to escape either. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the first two weeks, they’d given up. It was apparent that, as hostile as the shark mer was to humans, he was protective and even doting toward Diarmuid. If not outright murder, Ciaran had expected the shark mer to bully and ignore Diarmuid just like all the others. Instead, they were rarely ever apart. It was bizarre. The shark mer collected all of Diarmuid’s food from the surface and brought it down to him. When Diarmuid got tired or had trouble breathing after keeping pace with a mer over ten times his size, the shark mer let him ride around in his hair. He also let Diarmuid sleep in his hair. It was as cute as it was inexplicable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ciaran?” Cathal said, poking his head into the office where Diarmuid’s tank now sat empty. “Uh, Diarmuid is up at the surface of the tank now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ciaran was up as fast as his knees would let him be. Rua and Cathal followed him to the shark mer’s tank. The shark mer’s head poked out of the water and Diarmuid lay on his head, clinging to his hair and chirping. Ciaran knelt down and reached out his hands. The shark mer glowered, but Diarmuid patted his forehead and wriggled into Ciaran’s palms. Ciaran lifted him up to plant a kiss on the top of his head. “Thank God,” he said. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diarmuid chirped and hugged Ciaran’s thumb. Ciaran rubbed his belly and Diarmuid warbled happily. God, Ciaran missed this. He’d been so worried about Diarmuid’s wellbeing, but it seemed like his little guy was as happy as ever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diarmuid squirmed over to the edge of Ciaran’s hand and pointed to the shark mer. Ciaran raised an eyebrow. Diarmuid rubbed his belly and pointed to the shark mer again. Cathal sputtered into sudden laughter. “He wants you to give the shark mer bellyrubs,” he said. Rua snorted. The shark mer narrowed his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I like my hands attached, thank you,” Ciaran told Diarmuid, who pouted. Ciaran turned to leave, to take Diarmuid back to his tank where he belonged, and then a wet hand closed around his ankle. Ciaran sucked in a breath and turned to see the shark mer glaring at him, his grip iron-tight. Rua and Cathal rushed forward to grab Ciaran’s arms and pull him away, but Diarmuid let out a high trill and made grabby-hands toward the shark mer. Everyone froze. Ciaran looked from Diarmuid to the shark mer and then took a step closer to the water. The shark mer’s hand loosened, though his face remained wary. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want to stay together?” Ciaran said, and Diarmuid nodded. He made grabby-hands again, so Ciaran knelt by the water and let the shark mer scoop him up. Diarmuid curled up against the shark mer’s cheek and pressed a kiss to the crinkles at the corner of his eye. The shark mer kissed Diarmuid’s chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What,” Ciaran said. Rua laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Diarmuid gave Ciaran puppy dog eyes as the shark mer rubbed a finger over his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Cathal said. “I see. Hmm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rua slapped Ciaran on the back, snickering. “Every father’s worst nightmare: the boyfriend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Ciaran said, baffled. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>How?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t think about it too hard,” Cathal said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ciaran ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “...Well, if this is what you want,” he said, and Diarmuid beamed. The shark mer let Diarmuid crawl into his hair, gave Ciaran a look of grudging respect, and dove back beneath the water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw,” Rua said. “He’s finally left the nest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ciaran chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “I guess so.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Underneath the water, Diarmuid kissed the tip of the shark mer’s nose and smiled. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I didn't expect this one to be so long, but inspiration struck and I ran with it. Hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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